


The Sun Rises

by TribalMoogle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, F/M, Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-10 22:27:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12921507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TribalMoogle/pseuds/TribalMoogle
Summary: Sun finally rises in Eos, and Gladio is distraught.





	The Sun Rises

Sunlight. It draws everyone outside. Ten long years everyone has waited for the sun, and here it was. Everyone around you cheered, but you had a lump in your throat. They succeeded, but at what cost? Would you see any of them again? Would you see _him_ again?

When Noct returned Gladio had been adamant about getting to him and getting things back to a normal that hadn’t been normal for years. You knew it had to be done, but you worried that as he left, it would be the last time you ever saw him…

While everyone celebrates, you make your way to the side of the café. You dry heave a few times before thin, slimy bile makes its way up. You hadn’t been able to eat since they left. No doubt Gladio would scold you about it when he got back. If he got back. 

You slump down and hug your knees to your chest to quell your shaking. Every cheer you hear makes your shaking intensify. You bite your lip to stop the cries that threaten to seep out. You draw blood. The taste of it on your tongue mixing with stomach juices makes you nearly throw up again. 

You want to go home, but the thought of being there, without him, in the light, makes you want to avoid it at all costs. Sunlight trickles on to your face. You tilt your head up to it reflexively. The heat makes your tears evaporate, leaving salty trails on your face. “You did it babe. Now please, come back home…” 

Kids rush by, overwhelmed with excitement at seeing the sun for the first time. To those born during the darkness, stories of the sun had been fairy tales, and now they’d come true. Their joy was enough to wrench your heart. You decide the best course of action is distraction. You head over to the makeshift training center behind the café. 

The light allows you to see just how deplorable the facility actually is. Cobwebs everywhere, holes in the ceiling beams, rips in the training targets. It’s a mess, but part of it puts you at ease. You pick up the dummy sword and hit the target. Again, and again. Over and over until you physically exhaust yourself. You pass out on the cot.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back home, you place your key in the lock. There’s no click. It’s already open. Your heart races. _Gladio._ You throw the door open and storm inside. The lights are off, but the sun lights up the room all the same. _Where is he?_ You go to call his name when you hear the shower start, followed quickly by a loud thump.

You rush in, his name catches in your throat as you see him sitting in the bathtub, fully clothed, with icy water pouring over him. You turn off the water and go to the edge of the tub. He doesn’t notice. Eyes fixed on the ground. Drilling a hole with his intense but unfocused stare.

You’ve never seen him so shaken, so absent, so broken. His clothes are in tatters and you can see the dried blood and dirt all over him. Before you know what you’re doing, you crawl behind him and encircle his body best you can. You wish you were as large as him so that you could cover him entirely, like he does with you, making you feel safe.

You sit in silence, not wanting to be the first one to speak. You rest your head on his shoulder, breathing in the stench on his jacket. 

“He’s gone.” Gladio finally breathes out. 

Your grip tightens and you clench your jaw. Noctis gave his life so that the world could have light. It was noble and heroic, but that didn’t mean it was any bit easier on those he left behind. 

You stand up and make your way to Gladio’s front. Drips of water fall from your clothes as you do. He doesn’t notice. You kneel before him. One hand on his forearm resting on his knee, the other goes to his face, slowly lifting it up to meet yours. 

“I’m so sorry.” Your voice and eyes full of compassion, but Gladio looks right through you. He’s in shock, a shell, unable to comprehend anything. You nearly crack at how broken he is. Instead, you force yourself into action. “You need to get cleaned up.” He offers the smallest of nods. 

You stand and pull him up to his feet. He’s even heavier with the waterlogged clothes. When he finally makes it to his feet, you peel off his jacket and toss it on the floor. He continues to stare right past you. His body may be right here, but his mind is elsewhere. 

You strip off his tank top. Bruises and gashes assault your eyes. You choke back cries at the injuries. He doesn’t notice. You take off his shoes one by one, then his pants and boxers. You give him a soft kiss on the cheek, attempting to bring him back to the present. He doesn’t move. You turn on the warm shower and let it cascade over you both. 

You delicately rinse and wash his hair. Dirt, grime and blood turns the water a murky brown as it rushes to the drain. Realizing you still have on your tank top and shorts, you strip down and clean yourself as well. 

You grab the soap and loofa and delicately clean his wounds. If it stings, he makes no indication of it. The water flows off him as if he’s a statue. When you’re done, you turn off the water and jump out to grab some towels.

You wrap yourself up first, then face him head on. Fat droplets plop off his nose. You softly pat his face and wring the water from his hair. You gently pat the rest of his body dry and wrap the towel around his waist.

You leave a moment and return with some ointment for the wounds. You click the cap off and suddenly Gladio is present again. He grabs your hand. 

“Don’t. It’s the only thing I can feel.” His eyes find yours and he almost fully sees you.

You grab his hand but remain firm. “You can’t get an infection. This is all I’ll do.” Your eyes plead with him and he complies. You fight the urge to wrap him in your arms again, and diligently apply the cream. When you’re finished, you grab his hand to lead him out. “Come on.”

His body follows you into the bedroom. You find a clean tank top for him and slip it on. You grab some boxers and swap them for the towel. He sits at the end of the bed. You leave him a moment before changing yourself. 

When you return, he hasn’t moved. It breaks your heart. The world may have lost a king, but he lost a friend. One he’d been with nearly his whole life. Neither of you were strangers to loss, but this was different. 

The worst part was, you had no idea how to ease his pain. The grieving process was different for everyone. You figured what matters is that you’re here for him when he needs you. 

You crouch down in front of him, trying to get him to really see you. He continues to stare right through. You stand and grab his face and plant a sweet and loving kiss on his lips. You crawl into his lap, wrapping your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck. 

“Whatever you need, I’m here.” His body jolts. You must have gotten through to him. He buries his face in your neck and feverishly wraps his arms around you, clawing at your back savagely. You bite your lip as you feel him resisting the urge to break down. 

“I couldn’t save him.” The words cut you deep. Gladio had been a protector all his life. A shield. It was engrained in his identity, and he thought he had failed. 

You pull back and look him in the eyes, ensuring that he really sees you. “No. You got him to where he needed to be. You did your job. He knows that. We all do.”

His sad eyes pierce you. What else can you say? You kiss him with more sympathy than you can fathom and he reciprocates. After a moment, his soft tears hit your lips. You pull away and give him a sad smile. “Oh Gladio.” You cradle his head in your chest and stroke his hair as he sobs. You can’t stop the stray tears that arise from your own eyes.


End file.
